Also in WSJ.com:

Crisis in Ukraine

The European Union is far from easing sanctions on Russia because of the persistent tensions in eastern Ukraine, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Monday, as officials said clashes left at least 12 dead in some of the worst violence since a cease-fire signed earlier this month.

Visegrad Four Countries Sign Military Pact

BUDAPEST—The Visegrad Four countries—Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary—Friday signed a pact on a joint military body within the European Union, in response to the escalating Ukrainian crisis.

The deal involves joint military exercises, coordinated defense procurement and joint defense development of the four central European countries.

The move comes after pro-Russian forces have gained control of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula.

The Visegrad Four countries are the most exposed and most vulnerable to the Ukrainian situation, Hungarian Foreign Affairs Minister Janos Martonyi said Thursday after meeting his V4 counterparts.

Three of the four countries have borders with Ukraine, and groups of ethnic minorities of these countries are also living in Ukraine.